Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-30

7
bluffs AMI river there H. thus left level St "
| Of country. varying from Ten 10 fifteen miles
in breadtI, with a deep, II h, black soil Of en
ceeding fertility and named 10y the early set
! tiers the 4 nvIir Bottom
/ Here lived ~ the b-'ginHing Of the century
| perhaps lhUee tuulthS OF the inhabitants of
the country that today comprises the state
OF Illinois
As the French were the earliest settlers
their unique customs aud simple habits were
impressed upon and 20 some degree followed
bv the Americans who came later and gradu-
ally peoplrd the Bottom
All kinds Of heavy work. as harvesting,
hous, raising. etr. was done in common No
one expected uay for work IN the harvest
| field, and II neighbur was stricken with
! sickness his friends gathered in aud did up
his work Flax was one Of the crops raised
and was reaGv for pulling at the same time
the wheat fields ripened. As the girls pulled
fax it often happened that the young Of both
sexes from whole ncighborhooi conEregated
al the same farm house in harvest time.
Th. wheat WAS cut with sickes ami reap
hooks by tie your- ser men, while the bound
sheaves Were gathered up ami put in shocks
by the odd n.gn ami boys
AZ il'hlli tiltlt iil4'
first OF all. \ oumg and ola, male and female.
went To the spring and washed hands and
feet, for nearly every one was barefoot
Then with what appetiteS they gathered
round the heavily laden table that was spread
and waiting in The yard under shade tre,'sl
The table had been improvi~.,d by having
loose boards frequently those that matte up
the s-les and bottom OF the wagon body
upon eros, pieces. that in turn rested upon
the forkej ends of stakes driven in the
ground. These boards were brushed and
secured TIL they were clean, when the dishes
that had been gathered from all over the
neighb"rh"od were put upon them The
hearty harvesters, male aud female gathered
around his rude table and were seated upon
benches, rails and slabs The most venerable
man at the table asked q blessing and very
soon thereafter drank glass of rum, several
bottles Of which made a part of every feast.
While Vet a young man Bond was chosen
to the legislature of Indiana, OF which Illinois
then formed a part. In 1872, as before men-
toned. he was sent to Washington as the first
delegate from Illinois territory TO the national
congress. Here be succeeded in getting an
act passed 10y which settlers were enabled to
pre-empt the land upon which they had To-
Gated and made improvements Hitherto
everything relating TO lands had been in IA
chaotic state and no one knew what moment
he would he driven from his new home
About 1874 Bond moved 10 Ksskaskia and
be came the owner Of Il large farm near that
place. For some years previous to this he
had lived on a fine farm IN what is now Mon
roe county
In ISIS Shsdrach Bond was chosen the first
governor OF the vigorous young state Of Hi
nois that bad just been admitted into the
Union His popularity and many sterling
traits Of character snsbleI him 10 reach this
high place wit:,UG: opposition. In this sud
den transit.o.i II ll.nois from a territory TO
statehood msay Important measures came up
for consideration. and great were the resIon-
sibiiitieS throw apon the shoulders Of the
executive. but everything was met with
characteristic promptliess and determination
on the part Of Governor Bond
After serving one gubernatorial term Bond
was appointed register Of the land office at
kaskasSia. where he continued till old age
overlook him. still discbsrgug the duties OF
the Office 10 the satisfaction OF all concerned
He died April IL, 1881. with the love and re-
speCt Of every one who knew him. Bond
county in southern Illinois perpetuates his
name III Its earlier history this county was
very large, and embraced much territory that
has since been organized into other counties
Today it is one of the smaller counties, but
within its borders the pioneer in the begin
ming Of the century was called upon to face
many dangers. One incident illustrative OF
this truth we will give: In 1911 family Of
the name Of Cox lived on Shoal creek, not far
from the present village of Pocahontas This
same year. on the 2d day OF June, the family,
save young man and girl, had occasion to
BE- away from home. when a party Of Indians
suddenly rushed upon the cabin. killed the
Young man, ami after managing his body left
it upon the foor, and carried off the girl, to-
se:her with some horses.
A pursuing party numbering eight persons
WAS soon made up. of which Col. Pruit was
captain and Henry Cox and Ben Cox men-
berS The Indians were overtaken about
fftv miieS north Of Springfield, when. ac-
corlng to one narrator, a sort Of 'bashful
fight enSued, ami III the excitement which
attended this the Young girl broke away
from her caDtoTS ami ran toward the whites.
But while She was fleeing an Indian threw
his tonahawk al her, inflicting Il severe
wound oi the hip. She, however, reached
her friends, 6nd they having meantime re-
covered most Of the captured horses finally
ali reached home in safety. The floor Of the
Cox cabin was stained with the blood Of the
young man whom the Indians killed. The
family sought to remove all traces Of this by
chlpping out every blood stain.
The cabin stood for great many years,
and stream near by has ever since been
known a. Cox's branch; but the marks OF
the adze and a few remaining purple stains
were pointed out to the children Of another
generation ~ the spot where pioireer shed
bis life'S blood Nor did this fail TO impress
the young beholdeIs with the dangers in
CURED and suffrringS endured by thai hardy
band of men and women, who, taking their
lives in their hands, We're among the first to
open the way toward the settlement Of
great aba iiourlshing commonwealth.
L. b. JOHNSON.